Night of the Rising Sun
by Roadleader
Summary: "But why not in private, then?" Taken aback, the ruler of Meridian stopped in his calm step and turned to face her. "What do you mean?" Although silence fell between the two of them once more, she could tell that she almost had him convinced. He was the impression of a man whose hands were itching at the mere thought of it. [PostGame] [Friendship/Adventure] [Rating: T]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A rather small short story of about 5 chapters' length, taking place after the events of the main storyline of 'Horizon Zero Dawn'. Hope you enjoy it, and please leave a comment if you feel like it. It will help my writing skills become better.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own 'Horizon Zero Dawn', this honour's reserved to Guerrilla Games, and them alone. The same goes for its characters, I'm merely leasing them for this story. The used image of this story is a fan poster, and not my own either.** **This is a story by a fan for fans. I'm not making money with it, it's a fun project only.**

* * *

 **Night of the Rising Sun**

 **Chapter 1**

Clutching the package firmly in her right hand, she moved past the busy travelers, merchants and hunters, barely sticking out of the buzzing in the streets. The only feature pointing her out was her bright, flaming hair. And the evidently strengthening pieces of metal to her hunter's armor, for a Nora adding remnants of the Old Ones to her lifestyle was still a thing unheard of. But she didn't mind the occasional looks in her direction. She had a task to finish.

At the central mesa and marketplace of Meridian, she kept a lookout for the person she was supposed to meet here. It would have been a challenge to the human eye to gain an overlook of the dozens of people running errands, making their ways past each other and covering other faces in the process. But not to Aloy, who switched on her Focus device at her right ear with a soft touch of her fingertips and performed a look around. Only to her own eyes, she was enclosed now in a thin, electronic hemisphere, which was able to provide her with information to whatever thing she concentrated on.

"Name's Aleyna", she muttered silently to herself, her green eyes trying to remain at the vague centre of the marketplace. "Slender figure; long, black hair; brown skin; female."

At her voice command she could see the Focus calculate in the outer corners of her sight, rendering some people purple and blurry for a second before the progress completed and a single person was now highlighted in the colour of lilac. Aloy knew immediately that this was the woman she was looking for and headed towards her location at the right-handed edge of the marketplace, maneuvering her way around the traders and costumers in swerving lines. The closer she drew to her target, the better she could see her without the highlight of her Focus. She wore a black skirt, combined with a sleeveless blouse that was made of grey cloth and ornamented with a few golden stitches. Her clothing made her appear modest and awkwardly colourless, though it was also evident that she enjoyed at least a humble stage of prosperity. Even her name and origin appeared above her head, visible only for the huntress of the Nora: 'Aleyna Tamne, Sundom'

As the woman noticed her friendly but determined stare and her movement in her direction, she met her with subtle, but cold interest: "What is it, you want? As you can see, I have nothing to offer."

"That's fine with me, I'm not here to trade. Are you Aleyna?"

Her dark, brown eyes under the carefully shaped eyebrows narrowed in mistrust and she crossed her arms, a few golden and silver bangles clinging lovely in the process. "Yeah, I am. And you are...?"

"My friends call me Aloy. I've been sent to see you by an Oseram soldier. His name's Iskandar. Sounds familiar?"

Obviously, it did. Her expression changed from suspicion into honest interest and finally eager curiosity. "Iskandar? How does he look like?"

Aloy suppressed the urge to grin. Who was this woman intending to fool? But she handed out a little more information nonetheless, it made things easier for both of them: "He's a little taller than I am, well-trained, fights with a spear. His hair is short and a little curly, he has a significant scar on his left cheek. Enough for a summary?"

"Yes, that's definitely him", Aleyna nodded, evidently more willing to hear her out now. "Why did he send you? We were supposed to meet here today. In person."

The Nora performed a gesture of agreement. "I know. We met in the central desert north-east from here, as I was on my way back. When he found out that I was heading towards Meridian, he asked me to look out for you and give you his... best wishes. Also, I am to deliver this little package." She held out her hand and the Carja woman took the bundle without hesitation, wrapping it open most carefully. "He said you'd know what's inside it."

"Indeed, I do."

The leather packaging got parted from its treasure within seconds and revealed it to be a tiny, beautifully made resemblance of a fox. It looked as if the forest animal was carved out of dark, tropical wood, captured in a weary, sneaking movement. Both women appreciated the craftmanswork for a second and Aleyna showed a loving, affectionate smile.

"He made it himself, you know?", she told Aloy, holding the figure in her left hand and stroking its head in a caressing manner. "He's really talented, and so I pursued him to show me one of his pieces. A shame that he's not here, really... He called me 'desert fox' once, you know?"

Aloy smiled in return, she really liked the wooden fox. And Aleyna didn't seem an uneasy person, after all. She pocketed the figure carefully and pulled out a small bag instead. "Though you said you were on your way here already, you assisted him nevertheless. Thank you for bringing his message and the bundle to me. I hope this counts as a decent reward."

Aloy was impressed by the hundred metal shards she found in her hands only a second later; she'd been rewarded way lower in the past for far more extensive deeds than playing the mailman - or woman. But she definitely wasn't a person to complain, so she took the shards with a grateful smile and bid goodbye to the Carja: "Thank you, Aleyna. A good day to you."

"The same to you, kind huntress!"

This quest off her list, Aloy started to scan the marketplace all over again, this time looking for stalls where she could restock her supplies. She'd run out of Sparkers recently and wanted to search for new available modification recipes as well. Strolling around the place, looking at the diverse offerings and trying out the latest weapons models, the Sun rose to its zenith above her head. Time lost its meaning for her over the haggle with picky-headed merchants and blacksmiths, when, all of a sudden, a familiar voice reached her ear and she looked up:

"... wouldn't believe you even if you showed me ten of those stupid files. They're counterfeit, anyways! Come on, guys, I think this smart-head needs a decent break."

Grinning to herself, she bade the trader she'd kept company farewell and approached the source of the voice. It had come from a tall, broad-shouldered soldier in well-kept armor, who had placed his hands at his hips and saw off two guardsmen at the moment. Said men were flanking a nervous-looking guy in suspiciously fine trousers. Taking advantage of her noisy environment, Aloy sneaked up on the soldier and tapped him on the right shoulder, quickly sliding to his left side. As she'd expected, he turned to his right, bewildered, and she raised her voice in a bypassing manner: "Not filling up the empty jail cells, are we?"

He faced her in an instant, his brown eyes glowing with joyful surprise. "Aloy!"

It seemed at first as if he was about to hug her, but settled with firmly grasping her shoulder; a gesture she could return easily. "Haha! You stand around, think nothing bad by it, and all of a sudden a fiery huntress appears out of nowhere! So good to see you! It has been too long."

"Yeah, it really was. But you know how things are: you start out on a quest, think nothing bad by it, and before blinking twice you are caught up in a whole bunch of a mess you have to sort out."

"Too bad for you, but who could deny someone such a pleasant helping hand like you? What was it?"

She was glad to talk to Erend again. His corny, straight-away manner of speaking easily fitted hers and she dedicated herself to a summary of the latest happenings: "A fragment society of the Banuk tribe had some problems with her machine-friends. Like another one I've seen before, just the other way around: the machines were behaving oddly and aggressively towards humans until a corrupter, hidden in a buried tunnel, was put right. Took another while to convince them that their 'friends' were friendly again, though."

Erend subconsciously nodded in appreciation. "Well, busy girl, as usual." Another thought seemed to interrupt his speak, though, and he changed the subject. "Have you been to the great desert too, by chance?"

Aloy agreed, curious why he'd ask such a thing: "Yes, I had to pass through on my way back from the Banuk."

"But that's perfect! See, we've had a few incommodities with the remnants of those cultist Shadow Carja. Those who escaped law or justice have scattered into the north and east, and in those hot winds we lost track of them. Maybe you've spotted something related?"

A little overwhelmed by the new information, Aloy couldn't immediately work out whether she'd crossed certain hints or traces. "I don't know for sure. Can you be a little more precise?"

"Hardly, it's the Sun-King who's putting all the hints together."

Clapping his hands fiercely, he got struck by a sudden idea. "Holy mother, what are we standing here, chatting like chamber maids? Come with me and see the him yourself. I'm sure he wants to see you as well, before all others."

Now this was happening a little too fast for Aloy and she raised both hands in a calming gesture. "Wait up, Erend. It's midday, he's probably busy with thousands of errands to run. Back during the infiltration, things were a little different, but now I can't just walk in there and demand a meeting. As if I were important enough to do so."

But the well-trained soldier shook off her concerns and briefly touched her shoulder to make her follow, leading the way with quick steps. "Rubbish! You're probably the farthest travelled person alive, if you're ignoring that you saved Meridian from an ancient threat. I bet everything that he wants to meet you the rare times you find your way inside the city boundaries. Besides, after this business with the Shadow Carja, he wants to be informed about everything that's going on. Told me so himself."

Letting out a good-natured sigh, she easily held his speed with her slightly shorter step. "Talking about ambition."

"Yeah, but you can't blame him, can you? Folk needs a grounded and firm ruler at the moment, you see it everywhere."

"Where, exactly?"

"Seen the idiot my men showed to the door? He tried to fool me with forged merchant-papers, but I bet his hands are dirtier than they seem. I've seen some of his stuff when we confiscated it. Trinkets, branded with the symbol of the cult."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Once the Vanguardsmen realized that it was Erend and Aloy who demanded entry to the Palace of the Sun, they were allowed to proceed without further resistence. Once again, the Nora huntress felt the majestic, impressive aura of the King's residence trying to wear off on her, but she only shook her head when nobody was looking. How was anyone to see the real problems of life while he or she was pondering them in halls of marble? At the Temple of the Sun, which held a balcony to the North before all else, she knew they had found the ruler of the Sundom. The Vanguardsmen recognized them quickly and allowed them to step onto the platform.

She spotted Avad sitting on one of the sofas, heavily occupied with papers that were littering the table in front of him. He sat with his back turned to them, steadily holding a quill in his right hand and reading the file with intense concentration. That was, in fact, until Erend cleared his throat significantly and announced them: "Your Majesty? I'm sorry to disturb, but the company I've brought along might be of some importance as well."

The fourteenth Sun-King had looked up from the files at his first two words already, laid down paper and quill immediately and stood to face the two of them. Especially Aloy, who performed a brief but respectful nod towards him and felt a little out of place at Erend's description of hers. But Avad didn't seem to mind it; he looked surprised, but in a positive way. "Aloy! What an unexpected honor we face in today's sunlight. Welcome to my domain."

"Thank you, Avad. It's a joy to see you again."

"If you allow", Erend said, "Aloy comes straight from the desert to the north-east, and as it's information you seek from these lands, I thought it couldn't do wrong to bring her here."

"And perfectly right you were in doing so, Erend. Thank you."

The Oseram soldier appreciated his thanks with a brief nod and made short eye contact with Aloy again: "If you need anything, you find me in down in the market streets. I have to get back to my men now."

She agreed and said: "See you later, Erend."

His echoing steps were fading constantly as Aloy and Avad found themselves alone with each other. As she still couldn't really figure him out, the huntress remained alert and decided that it was best to take the first step of the conversation herself. "So... shall I give you some sort of report now? Erend has already hinted that you are looking for tracks of members of the Shadow Carja, but to speak clearly, it's not as if I've seen that much on my way here."

"That's completely alright, my determination to gain as much information as possible shouldn't come out as if I was about to question you. Your presence is a most pleasant change of conditions, though I must confess that I am very interested in how you did fare since last we parted."

"The same goes for me, to say the least. It looks like the politics of the Carja are currently undergoing some significant changes, am I right?"

He showed a rare, honest smile at her curious question. "Plenty of questions to answer, then. May I invite you for a walk in the gardens, where we can truly speak in private?"

Thinking over the offer quickly, Aloy decided that it would be worth the opportunity to see a little more of the royal Palace of Meridian. "Sure, why not? Definitely more relaxed than standing around."

"Exactly what I thought."

The gardens were located towards the South, designed like a great balcony with three different stages, building upwards along the side of the Palace. It was planted with diverse kinds of tropical flowers and blooming bushes, which were offering an intense smell of their own, though practically useful herbs, small and bare in comparison, grew beside them as well. The smooth paths of sand and earth were wide enough to grant walking space for two people at a time, but many sole tracks that parted from the main ones were accessible for single visitors only. As if there were many visitors of this exclusive garden, anyways. Aloy felt a deep impression taking hold of her at the sight of the plants and flowers in blossom. Such a colourful combination of nature was unique on this earth.

"To answer your question", Avad brought up the conversation again, "I can tell nothing precise so far, but that Meridian is going to face a friendlier future towards outlanders from now on. I deeply appreciate the cultural and economic impact of a multinational society, which is why I aim to open the gates not for relatives or friends of Carja only, but to all who want to enter in peace."

"Doesn't that clash with many safety rules your soldiers have to hold up?", she dug a little deeper. "Personally, I consider it a rightful concept, though logically spoken -"

"- that's exactly the problem I am facing right now. The heads of the nobles are not easy to fill with the voice of reason, but patience will be the key to its success in the end." They were coming past a tall plant with great, orange blossoms. Admiring their blazing beauty, it was now Aloys turn to receive a question: "How did you fare since last we parted? I hope your journey has turned out well?"

Appreciating his subtle hint of concern about her, the young Nora woman started to tell him about the Banuk and their mislead machine corruption, going a little bit more into detail in comparison to how she'd presented it to Erend. She felt that Avad was honestly interested in what was happening outside of his realm, whether it was connected to his latest dealings within the Sundom or not. "In the desert, I met a group of Oseram soldiers who were definitely in a hurry. Two of them were wounded, another one sent me here to a... friend of his, whom I were to deliver a package and a message to. They were supposed to meet each other in person, but obviously he was delayed by something. Now that I've heard Erends description of the Shadow Carja, I wonder whether they might have a hand in this."

"For the sake of these men, I hope they do not. Did Erend tell you what kind of incommodities we've had with the Shadow Carja recently?"

"No", she said, meeting his eyes while walking slowly beside him, "What happened?"

"An organized bunch of assassins had succeeded in infiltrating the city in an attempt to free some of their companions out of the cells in the dungeons. During their flight back out they've set half the city ablaze. And still we were not able to catch them all, which means that we have to stay alert for another strike."

Aloy completely understood is argumentation, but frowned nonetheless. "Do you really think they will rally again? Scattered, as they are now?"

"One corrupted mind only is enough to make half the world rally to its side", he responded, a rather depressed expression in his hazel eyes. "Evil itself can never be extinguished, no matter how hard one tries."

"A truth all of us have to accept, how bitter the act might seem."

The two of them shared a short, sad glimpse of a smile with each other. More a twitch of their lips, silently saying: 'But life will always go on. And behind every raincloud, sunshine is waiting to touch earth once more.'

"If I may, I would like to ask you a thing I've been wondering for a long time now", Avad changed the subject, focusing his eyes on the distant walls of stone that parted the upper from the lower class of Meridian. "Do you think that, apart from how many loyal eyes someone has got to see for him, they still cannot see as good as his own?"

Aloy found herself taken by surprise by the sound of his question; as if there was more to it than mere words. And she could bet there was. "Yes, I think so. Why do you ask?", she asked in return, curious to hear an answer.

The Sun-King's face looked steady. "Because of reality. I dare to say that you, yourself, can see things how they really are. For example, no one is afraid of showing you that they don't like you. But once in my presence, everyone cracks a smile. Except for a few." At this comment, his eyes gave a thankful, teasing twist. As if a blurry shadow of humor was rushing through them, leaving nothing but a trace behind. "But how to pull back the curtains of illusion people want to close over a realm I have to rule?"

The Nora huntress felt a tempting sensation of adventure rising in her chest; an unmistakable certainty told her that there was lingering action beneath his words. "And what would you say to an actual stroll?"

"Actual?", Avad repeated disbelievingly.

"That's the word people use for describing an event taking place in time."

Unfortunately, he didn't give back her widening grin. Instead, he raised his right hand in a mildly calming attempt. "I know what you want to say, Aloy, but sadly, this is out of the question. People might think I'd be making fun of them, cheating on them, even. Parading through the streets with a bunch of guards to all my sites... I'd be ashamed of myself."

Aloy nodded briefly, in total admittance of his arguments. Only seconds later, though, her adventurous side caught fire again with a new thought that set her brain waves ablaze. "But why not in private, then?"

Taken aback, the ruler of Meridian stopped in his calm step and turned to face her. "What to do mean?"

The slightly smaller woman met his eyes without a trace of fear. "I'm suggesting a private tour, in secret. On your own. Lay down this crown on your head for a few hours, take on a normal cloak and sooner than you think you are part of it." She could see the fight between responsibility and desire reflected in his face, right under the sun-caressed skin.

"You don't think they'd recognize me?"

"Not at first sight, that'd be for sure. Most of the time, it depends on the situation - and, of course, you'll have to avoid the Vanguard."

"Naturally."

Although silence fell between the two of them once more, she could tell that she almost had him convinced. His gaze was filled up to the top with imagination. He was the impression of a man whose hands were itching at the mere thought of it.  
Silently, she smiled to herself. Avad has always been a character to whom she had dedicated a huge amount of respect, for being a restorer of peace and order, but step by step she began to like him. As a person. His sense for adolescence, balance and diplomacy, along with his confidence, was reassuring, for those made him a man to trust in his actions. On the other hand, he has nevertheless managed to keep hold of a primeval seed of faith in human kind, a modest and grounded way of thinking, and a corn of temptation towards adventure. He was no friend of war, and neither was Aloy. The more time they spent in conversation, the easier she found it to discover common ground with him. She could easily remember the moment when she first realized that the man in front of her wasn't wearing a mask:

 _"Quite a place you've got here. You can almost see the little people below the mesa." "You don't approve? Well, I have a secret for you. Neither do I."_

When it came to her that her companion turned to face her again, the whispers of the past stepped aside for the impressions of the present. "I am correct - I assume - in thinking that you won't stay long in Meridian?"

She nodded. "Don't get me wrong, the city's still marvelous in its own way and I fully enjoy the company of my friends. But I've got business to attend to elsewhere."

"Always on the road, I see."

"Well, that's who I am." A smile drew itself on her face on the note of his subtle teasing and his silent, well-placed sense of humor. She could feel his interest rising on the subject.

"If I may ask: where will you go? Has it something to do with... HADES, you called the thing you saved us from?"

Now these were two of the hardest questions to answer. Aloy found herself not quite sure over the dilemma how far she could go in trusting Avad with the truth. Not that she wouldn't find him trustworthy of the knowledge, but the systems of technology she'd discovered so far would clash with how he'd grown to understand the world. He might not fall to an emotional breakdown, for that he'd seen too much cruelty in life. But the imagination of an AI, a gigantic, bodyless brain that was caressing and leading all processes of life? That'd be a huge thing to swallow, which is why she settled with a different kind of answer for the moment: "Yeah, something like that. I ... have to fix something related that got corrupted just like HADES. But where to start, I have no idea."

He inclined his head slightly to express his full attention. "If I or any of my men can be of assistance, you need but ask."

Her gaze was grateful, but steady when she met his eyes. "Thank you, but this is my fight. Also, more than anywhere, they're needed here at the moment."

"A convincing argument you've got there. See the offer as constantly present, nonetheless."

Their private stroll in the gardens came to a sudden end as Blameless Marad approached them, carrying a fast and steady step. Once he'd caught up with them, he inclined his head respectfully towards Aloy and bowed to the ruler of Meridian. "Greetings, Aloy. Word has already reached me that you are honoring our beautiful city once more. My king, I am deeply sorry to disturb your privacy, but there is a matter that needs to be dealt with."

"There is no need for apologies, Marad", Avad spoke, "What news do you bring?"

"I have inspected the founding of the new bridge as you ordered, interviewing the supervisors at and nearby the spot. The progress is slow, but constant and they are confident that the bridge will stand in about two weeks' time. Across the second road into the city, a small group of Oseram soldiers approached us and politely asked me to lead them to your place of residence. They have come to play their part in restoring Meridian, thereby paying Ersa's grave a visit and showing their respects towards the Sun-King."

Avad kindly acknowledged his subtle hint to return with him to the temple and see the visitors, unable to hide the emotional stab at the mention of Ersa for a split second. Though first he turned once more to his, secretly, more pleasant company. "I have to respond to this call immediately, I'm sorry. But may I invite you to stay in Meridian for the night? As before, you could take up Olin's apartment, which has remained reserved for you ever since."

It came as a surprise to Aloy that he had held a free room in stock for her, although it had never been clear if she ever came back to Meridian at all. The well-hidden hope of his to see her again, and to continue to weave a bond of partnership (maybe even friendship) with her made her smile in unexpected cheerfulness. She performed a brief nod for a discharging gesture and said: "Gladly. I mean, it'd be great to stay till tomorrow."

Her positive response met a relieved resonance of Avad, she could tell from his brief smile. But it was only a small one, lingering a mere second before he spoke to Marad again: "Please lead the way, my friend. Aloy, feel at home in this place."

She did nothing but nod for an answer, as the two high men of Meridian went off to the arranged meeting. There wasn't anything intelligent to say, at the least. Out of use, she switched on her Focus device and saw the figures of Avad and his companion growing smaller, now shaded in purple. She could even see their names scripted in the sky above their heads, until it came to her what she was trying to do at the moment and she quickly switched off the tiny technology that held so many wonders within. Even the Old Ones, she guessed, hadn't had a device that could read another person's mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The rest of the day had swiped past more quickly than she'd expected. After coming to the conclusion that she'd spent enough time in the gardens (and gathered enough medical supplies to last her a while now, but that's her little secret), she'd left the palace and the "noble world", as she called it, to see where a helping hand could be of use. Eventually, she'd ended up at the side of Erend again, with whom she'd worked on restoring a part of the outer wall of the city, where she'd fought the oncoming hoards of machines during HADES' homicide-operation. It'd been dirty, exhausting craftsmen's work, but fun as well. Nothing over honest, hard work together with friends on a day like this.

When the setting sun had touched the peaks of the faraway trees of the rainforest, Erend had taken his leave, having some distant acquaintances to see. And such it had been that Aloy herself had drawn from the work site, collecting her packages she'd left with her mount outside of town when she'd arrived here, and retreating to Olin's former apartment, where she'd begun tending to her own weaponry and armor.

Sitting in front of a tiny, cracking fire in the chimney, she brushed remnants of earth and long-dried blood sprinkles from her spear with a rough brush and a small knife. She'd taken down the protective metal parts of the set of clothes she wore out in public and nature, and enjoyed the light, flexible feeling her leather clothing granted her. Easily, she put metal shards, wooden sticks and feather parts together and crafted, relaxed and without hurry, some more of her hunter arrows - and a few special ones as well. What one could learn from the different merchants of the various regions, she couldn't have imagined.

Once again, a strand of her fiery red hair escaped the hold of her shoulders and dangled in front of her nose like an annoying, teasing insect. Unnerved, she brushed it back and out of her sight. It'd been a long day again. First the last miles on her way to Meridian at all, hours of bickering with merchants and traders, the pleasant appointment with Avad and after that, the wall-founding. She had every right to enjoy a quiet evening. On her own. But more than anything, she missed a decent installation to wash herself; to clean her body from the day's dust, dirt and sweat. Although she was very well used to particles of dirt under her fingernails and the stinging sensation of sweaty hair, she felt soiled and grubby. And she had failed to look for a towel on her way up here, so a cleaning session had to wait till tomorrow morning now. Rost would've shaken his head about that matter and muttered something like "Women..." under his breath, she thought all of a sudden.

Her silent smile was infiltrated with a bitter tendency as the well-known sadness tried to settle in her heart once again. Rost... she missed him so much. His grumpy comments on a spontaneous idea of hers, his words of comfort, his faith in her. Not for once, he had doubted her talent and skill in survival. He had believed in it so much that he had died for it, in the end. She felt tears pressing into her eyes and, with a firm, final decision, shook her head to regain concentration. The wound in her heart was still feeling fresh and so was her grief over his passing. But he wouldn't have wanted her to linger in this state for too long. There were so many things to explore and discover, now, at present times. She would use her memory of him to make herself stronger, not weaker. With new motivation gained, she turned to craft some of the explosive bombs, just like the recipe of the craftsman recommended.

She had no idea how long into the night she'd been sitting there, caressing her ammunition, when, unexpectedly, a brief knock called her attention. Bewildered, she turned her head to the staircase, from where the sound had come. Who could that be, long after nightfall? And above all, at her - no, Olin's door?

Skeptical but curious, she grabbed her spear from a nearby stool and got to her feet, feeling both her legs pumping with blood after being folded for so long. She climbed down the staircase and reached the wooden door, just as another soft, quiet knock occurred. So whoever this was, he was still out there. Placing her right hand on the handle, she raised her voice: "Who's there?"

"You know me", a clear but muffled voice responded. "But I can't reveal myself right now."

Aloy frowned, even more suspicious. It was a man who was speaking to her and she would lie, if she said she didn't know the voice. But she couldn't pin-point it to a specific face. "Everyone can say that", she gave back briskly. "Be gone from here!"

"By the sun, is it so hard to recognize a friend?"

She had drawn away from the wood already, content in letting the wannabe-visitor rot right outside her door, but the last comment made her turn immediately. There was but one person she knew who would use such a speakword. But what would be the odds of him actually being here?

For the second time, she gripped the handle and pulled the door open to a minimum rank, so that she could only glimpse outside. "Show yourself", she demanded fiercely.

A brown leather hood was drawn back from the face of the visitor and she could see two shadowy, hazel eyes in a secretly smirking face. "Do I need a password, Ma'am?"

Letting out a short breath in pure disbelief, she straightened her back and pulled the door open a little wider. "Come in."

His slender figure glided easily through the gap between wall and wood, and twice in one day Aloy found herself face to face with the Sun-King. Though he didn't quite resemble a king anymore. The change in his outlook was astonishing.

"So... you actually did it?", was the first thing she found herself capable of saying.

He smiled in return, plain excitement in his eyes. "You can be very convincing, huntress of the Nora."

"As convincing as your outfit, you mean", she said, taking in his appearance. As she had suggested earlier, he had left his crown where it belonged: in the palace. Likewise, he had done with the expensive, exclusive robe of kings, instead putting on a rough, bare shirt of linen and dark, fitting trousers. Even his shoes were convincingly simple-made and his cloak was doing a great job at hiding any trace left of his noble status. He looked so different without the ruler's ornaments, but handsome all the same. If not even more so.

"I am glad you approve", he responded, briefly looking at his sleeves and then meeting her eyes again. She grinned. "So... where will you go?"

"I am not sure. I thought it wiser to ask the company about her preferences before fixing any plans."

It took her a moment to let the meaning of this reach her mind, but her reaction was immediate. Stunned, rooted to the spot, she stood in the middle of her - no, Olin's sitting room (if you were to find a name for it). "I... I'm to come with you?"

"Naturally, I wouldn't take this little adventure without you. Or am I distracting you from something of great importance?" His poorly-hidden excitement changed into serious concern on the spot. "If that is so, I shall take my leave immediately."

"Eh, no. No, not at all", she stumbled, her brain finally springing into action again. "Wait a second, I'll fetch my stuff."

And she was hurrying up the stairs at once, feeling strangely numb and calling herself stupid at the same time. The Sun-King of Meridian was offering her a night stroll - what things of greater importance were there to exist? The mere thought of sending him away for toying with her bow or fussing over her stock of medical supplies... good gracious, she'd be ashamed of herself!

Not even a minute later she came back down, putting on a jacket of fox fur and her bow and quiver, her Focus sitting attached to her right ear. "Everyone spotting me will think I'll be off for a stroll outside the city bounds, hunting nocturnal animals. Though how will you explain your presence out in the streets at night?"

"Don't worry, I have already thought about that. There is a meeting spot for the lower-class people, where they can share food and drink around a campfire. I am a carpenter, on my way to join them there."

She adjusted her quiver to her belt and nodded. Once a guardsman would have a look at his hands though, which were surprisingly smooth and well-kept, his lie would be plain as their beloved sun. But for a passerby-question it would do.

"Shall we go, then?", she asked and Avad initiated a brief, teasing bow. "After you, Ma'am."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was a strange feeling for Aloy to wander the streets of Meridian under such new, till now unknown circumstances. To an observing person, she was walking alone, looking warily over her shoulder from time to time, and on her way to the city borders. Only that she wasn't quite alone. For several steps behind her, hard to see in the dim twilight between the multistoried buildings, moved a sole figure, evidently independent from her steps. Not that it would ever stop walking, but she could see its head, barely visible in the misty light of moon, stars and elsewhere-located campfires, turn into different directions, wordlessly greeting the few people they passed on their way down into the twisting and winding alleys. Where the real life was taking place, Aloy thought.

At night, it was far more quiet than during the hours of daylight, but this served as an advantage for them. By strolling around in private, Avad was given a perfect opportunity to evaluate the living conditions of his people on his own. The substance of the buildings, which had also been heavily damaged during HADES' attack. Although being constructed in a structured and airy manner, Aloy detected a feeling of claustrophobia which hung at the surrounding walls. It was clearly evident that many people lived close to each other in this area. And like everywhere in the city, some nightguards were patrolling around here as well.

Turning around a corner and stopping in her step, unnecessarily readjusting the string of her bow, Aloy gave her undercover companion a chance to catch up with her. When, out of nowhere, a stranger's voice was echoing through the close-by street. "And what do you think you are doing out here at night?"

She felt heat rise in her chest and could barely suppress a curse. It was not her who'd been addressed like that. It was Avad.

Sneaking back to the edge of the corner in silence, she listened with all her might to the words spoken: "I am off to the campfire down on the second level. Not forbidden, is it?"

"Watch your tongue, master. I don't like your outlook at all, see? What are you up to?"

"My answer hasn't changed. I want to attend the meeting at the campfire."

"Don't you be smart with me, that doesn't work. Who are you?"

"Tarik Salim. I was hired as a carpenter for replacing the furniture destroyed by the metal devils."

In the dim darkness around her, Aloy's face was momentarily disentangled by appreciation. She had to pay the ruler of Meridian some credit for his steady tone and his cunning talent for improvisation.

"I'll get that checked, be sure of that."

"Naturally. Am I allowed to press on, now? Colleagues are waiting for me."

"Alright, fine. Move on."

Approaching steps told Aloy that her companion was catching up with her again and she hurried away from the corner, walking in the middle of the lane to make herself visible for him.

"But I don't like your face, you! You're up to something!", the guardsman called after his king. At the thought of it, she slightly grinned to herself. If only this oblivious man knew whom he'd said these words to...

It was several more miles of stroll through the city, its marketplaces and living sections when Aloy considered it a decent look-around and came to a stop at a nearby fountain, where she helped herself to a few handfuls of water and secretly watched her companion draw closer. She noticed with a little surprise that he'd taken down the hood of his cloak and moved, metaphorically spoken, in broad daylight. Eager to evidently have something to do, she tried to clean her fingernails with the few drops she could hold in her cupped hand until she felt him lean against the stone basin beside her. Only then, she raised her gaze from her fingers: "Got enough for one walk?"

She could barely make out his eyes in the shadowy light of the street, but his voice sounded steady and confident. "There is never too much to behold in this city I do my best to rule. Though I'd think it wiser to retreat for now, we have pushed our luck far enough tonight."

"Me too. How come you let go of the hood?"

"You mean why I show my face?", he smiled. "Sometimes, it's best to hide in plain sight. And to tell you the truth: it started to annoy me as well."

His gaze fell upon her wet fingers and he noticed her subtle gestures of drying them at her trousers. "What's with your hands? Are you hurt?"

"What? No, just tried to get rid of the dust. It's obvious that I could use a decent bath, but that has to wait till tomorrow."

"Why didn't you tell me before? Come with me, I've got something to show you."

Inclining his head briefly to the left and pushing himself from the fountain, he made it clear for her to follow him. For a glimpse of a second, she hesitated; asking herself what he could hold in stock for her now. Though the small but stable stage of trust she'd learnt to place in Avad made her follow his shadowy figure, outlined even darker against the grey dim, without further questions.

He aimed at the road they'd taken for their stroll down into the lower levels, quickly progressing the other way around now, upwards into the realm of the wealthy society. It was not yet the true palace, but the difference was evident when ever you let your eyes wander. He led her past the apartments of the Vanguardsmen - a risky road to take, for to avoid the tired but sharp eyes of the night watchers, they had to melt into every shadow they could find. But Avad proved yet another extraordinary hunter skill his own and Aloy, observing him carefully not to miss any steps, discovered again a new site of the so called Sun-King. And she liked it. She could even feel her curiosity rise at how far those hunting and fighting skills might go. She'd taken notice before of the fact that he was a very athletic and able-bodied man, handsome even. But looks didn't count in battle - and she could feel her fingertips itch with the desire of facing him, spear versus saber. Just once.

They came to a stop in the shadow of a surprisingly modest building, about two stories tall and fitting in perfectly as a round-up of the outer border of this section of the city. It's double-door was well secured with broad wooden planks, but there were no guards placed in its nearby area. Taking in the humble wall, made of cert, red stone, she faced her secretive companion in confusion: "What is this place, exactly?"

"The bath-house of Meridian", was his answer. "Quite a decent site, in my opinion. Modest, of course, but decent."

She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't belong in there. The gesture is nice and I really appreciate it, but my own minor problems can wait till sunrise."

"Of course you don't", was his surprisingly calm respond. "You could have been given a peerage by now, judging by what great deeds you've done to our city so far. But that doesn't suit you. And a place of privacy that fits your humble demands is something I'd grant every civilian of Meridian. If there were any possibilities."

"But we can't get inside by breaking down the front door."

"No need to do that." He pointed his left hand at a window right above his head. A window that was missing its glass. "It was planned like this to guarantee a constant state of fresh air."

Aloy still couldn't quite believe what was going on in this precise moment. The fourteenth king of the Sundom was standing right beside her, out in the streets, in the middle of the night, and was tempting her to break into the bath-house of his capital to get her teeth brushed? Well, what she was in need of was quite more long-winded than that, but the core was the same. And what was even more concerning: she fell for it. This teasing spirit of adventure took hold of her once more and whispered promising possibilities into her ear.

She shortly evaluated the height of the window and found that she couldn't get up there on the spot. Permitting herself a small grin, she asked: "How do I get up there?"

Unexpectedly, Avad took a step back, so that he was leaning with his back against the wall, and held up his hand. "I'll give you a small boost. That should do."

"Alright", she accepted, granting herself two steps as a run-up. One last breath, then she silently broke into action, gained a little speed and placed her left foot in her companion's hands, feeling her body being catapulted upwards by his strength which made it foolishly easy for her to reach the window. Cowering on the stone sill, she turned back to look down. Avad was smiling up to her, obviously proud of the both of them, and she couldn't help but give back a grin.

"How much time do I have?", she asked quietly.

He inclined his head in a teasing manner. "As much as you need, Ma'am."

Careful not to knock anything over, she climbed down into the lightless, circular room. Although her eyes were in need of some time to get accustomed to the even darker environment, she felt herself freeze to the spot for a second at the sight she was beholding. The room was a full round, forged out of smooth sand stone and wood. A few ornaments within the mosaic of the ground were made of white marble, and delicate patterns were decorating the wooden edges and supporters of various shelves and wardrobes across the room.

But what was most important were the bath tubes. There were four of them, usually separated by blue, opaque curtains which were drawn to the side right now. Two of the tubes were formed out of wooden planks, smoothed out so that one could not hurt himself during his bath, whereas the other two were carved from stones, it seemed. Aloy found herself deeply impressed by the care that had been invested into this house and moved around it even more sensitively. She didn't quite know where to start. Where was the water stored, anyway?

Instantly, she switched on her Focus and took another look around. She saw towels, hidden in the twilight, and some purple shades sitting on the shelves, objects without any familiarity to her. Finally, a door revealed itself in a purple blur and she opened it, entering a narrow stairwell which held even more doors in stock for her, located on the same floor she had entered through the window. Not wasting any more time, she started searching for the most important ingredience of a bath. And to her enormous relief, she was successful at the second try.

This room was just half the size of the circular one she'd just left, but fully taken up by five enclosed fireplaces, with cauldrons above them in which the water was obviously heated. All of the coals were extinguished, of course, but the bowls were made of thick metal, which had held the warmth of the water in place even till now. It was a little cooler than normal bath temperature, but Aloy was not a picky person and completely content with what she'd found. Taking up a bucket that stood beside various others at the right-handed wall of the room, she got herself started.

Avad was leaning against the balustrade, his arms folded on top of it, and quietly looked down at the city beneath him. A mild wave of night wind was swirling past his head, tipping his left ear and toying with his short, black hair. The peace and quiet he experienced in this moment made him wonder, for he'd expected quite different if he was honest with himself. There was much to be thought of, countless errands to be run until his realm would be recovered from the past hits it had had to endure under his reign.

He turned from his viewing point at a silent, scratching sound from behind and beheld Aloy, carefully climbing out of the window again. Although he stepped closer immediately, there was no need for assistance. The Nora huntress reached the ground with a soft landing and straightened, brushing a wet braid back behind her ear. Her Focus was glowing faintly blue.

"You waited?", was her first statement.

"Of course I did", Avad answered. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

She shrugged briefly and, though wide awake in her mind, suppressed a yawn. She couldn't have imagined the influence the warm water would have on her. "I thought you'd headed back to the palace by now. Do kings never sleep?"

"Not as much as Nora hunters, that would seem", he joked slightly, though the sight of her evident tiredness seemed to let him spring into seriousness. "But you are right, we really should return. I will see you to your apartment, if you approve."

"You really don't have to do this -"

"What if I'd like to?"

Letting out a silent breath, she rolled her eyes - but with a grin on her face. She shook her head, torn between two possible answers. But finally, she fell for the latter: "Alright, lead the way."

They managed their way back to the lodgings of the soldiers in silence and without disturbance. Though she ignored her sore body as good as possible, Aloy could feel the steely weight of tiredness pressing on her head. She even started to question whether this bath had been a good idea after all, but now it was too late all the same. And Avad proved a reliable leader past the eyes of the night watchers once more, which is why they ended up in front of her door - no, the door to Olin's apartment - sooner that she'd thought they would.

"Here we are", he whispered, checking quickly that they weren't followed.

"Thank you again for the bath", Aloy responded, resting the fingertips of her left hand against the wood of the door. "And for seeing me off."

"No, Aloy. I am the one to thank you. Without you, I probably never would have taken the step out of my quarters. Your company was a pleasure tonight."

She smiled and nodded in return. "So was yours. Is there any chance you will take said step without me again?"

"I think, I was quite hooked by its taste, so yes, definitely. Not very often, of course, but from time to time, it could be a diversion to take into consideration."

"Glad to hear that."

Their faces illuminated by a weak torch, they shared a short moment of appreciation of each other. Upon the realization of their tiny, nightly adventure coming to an end now, Aloy found herself strangely proud of the two of them. The secret mischief was managed - and it was something only the two of them would ever know. She lowered her head the exact moment Avad was about to do the same.

"Good night, Aloy", he spoke, placing his right hand on his heart in the process. A gesture of respect. "I wish you a pleasant sleep."

"The same to you, Avad. Good night."

As she pushed the door open, she risked one last glimpse back over her shoulder. His slender figure was vanishing quickly, soundlessly, into the shadows of night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The tamed, athletic Strider shook its slender head in an impatient manner at her firm grasp around its neck. It was already familiar to her hands, as they'd travelled a remarkable distance together already, though it didn't inherit a particularly wide tolerance range of motionlessness. Standing still definitely counted as part of it. Attentive to its surroundings, it focused its sensors, which were shaped like tiny fox-ears on top on its head, in every direction, the visual receptors following whenever a sound-disturbance occurred. But by its blue signal light and the relatively calm resting of its hooves Aloy could tell that it completely tolerated her adding the freshly upgraded saddle packs to the hooks she'd placed on its upper flanks.  
As time had flown by, she'd become accustomed to modifying her mounts along the road for practical reasons, and this Strider was holding a record by staying with her for over a month now. Actually, she was toying with the idea of giving it a special painting, so that she could spot it more easily in a herd of Striders - and it would mark it as her own. A tempting imagination, that's what it was...

She was adjusting Sylens' modified spear, which was now hers, to the leather strings she'd attached to her mount, when said machine turned its head so that it was looking over her shoulder and showed its pointed ears. Enough cause for Aloy to pause her work for a second and take a look herself. What she found herself confronted with was quite astonishing.

There were five men walking towards her, four of them flanking one in the middle. She couldn't resist a tiny smile when she recognized the familiar faces: Avad, Erend and Blameless Marad, followed by two of the Vanguardsmen. There really were few people on this reborn earth who could tell that they were seen off by people of such greatness.

"You didn't actually intend on vanishing into the blue without saying goodbye, Aloy?", she was greeted by the Sun-King, who showed a small but honest smile.

"That would be anarchy against the standard courtesy", was Marad's comment on the situation, and Erend performed nothing but a grumpy, warm-hearted gesture of relativity. "That wouldn't be Aloy, would it? A shame to see you almost off again - sure it wasn't my unexpected retiring yesterday that brought you to it?"

The Nora huntress couldn't resist a short laugh at this and shook her head firmly. "Never ever! Seeing you again was a joy, Erend, but you should know me by now. I have business to attend to, and it's not located in Meridian."

The gruffy leader of the Vanguard shrugged in response to this, grinned and crossed his arms. "What to expect from a woman whose hair is on fire all the time?"

"Make sure I don't set yours ablaze on comments like that."

They shared a brief but whole-hearted laughter and Aloy turned to face her other visitors again, for she couldn't deny that they were still part of the conversation as well. Blameless Marad did nothing but grant her a strangely proud look, which was impossible to dedicate to anybody. Lucky for her, she didn't have to make the conversation progress herself.

"I dare to say that won't be necessary", Avad spoke, taking a step forward, steadily meeting her eyes. "May I ask you for a private word?"

She gave back a nod, and both Erend and Marad politely stepped back to grant them a little space of privacy. Back in his formal robes of a ruler, he looked far less human than in normal clothing, Aloy thought. Quite a shame, in her humble opinion.

"The statement I made clear yesterday will not sway", he started determinedly. "If in peace or in need of aid, Meridian will always open its gates for you."

She briefly inclined her head in appreciation of his words: "That's a thing only few people ever hear in their life. Though I find it more remarkable to see you walking all the way down here from the palace - just to say goodbye to a huntress? It would have been easier to ready this thing -", she pointed at the awaiting Strider beside her, "- at the edge of a marketplace, of course. But unfortunately, mounts aren't allowed inside."

Avad responded to her subtle joke with an amused smile, taking in the sight of the tamed machine without fear, but with a little curiosity. "It seems we have to bend the admission guidelines a little", he joined in the teasing, but changed the subject very quickly. He was well aware of the fact, that the Sun-King outside of city boundaries would draw attention to itself even more by the second.

"Though you are right, Aloy. I didn't just come to wish you a safe journey, which I'd have done even without another reason to see you. I wanted to give you something that might come in handy."

From the pocket of his wide trousers, he pulled a tiny bundle of cloth, stitched and bound shut at its top by leather strings. Around its blazing midst, there was another fine string of leather.

"It contains a collection of phials which are filled with strongly concentrated medical supplies, made out of herbs and oils. Even though I hope that you won't ever be in need of it along your journey, I find it wiser to know them within your reach."

The bundle was holding, in contrary to its small and compressed outlook, a reassuringly high weight in stock, and Aloy found it surprisingly tight and heavy as Avad placed it in her right hand. She didn't even have time to wonder, for he separated the fine leather string from the bunch of medical aid and revealed it to be a necklace. A bare, black leather string, decorated only by a small, inconspicuous pendant, shaped like a sharpened, stretched O. It was, as the thought of it struck her, an element of the spiky, geometric patterns and mosaics one could find within the decorations of the Palace of the Sun, worked into a small plate of copper and refined with golden inlays. Beautiful craftmanswork, and tiny enough to be easily enfolded in a human hand.

"What is that?", she couldn't stop herself from asking, scanning every inch of it with her bright, green eyes as it was presented to her in his palm.

"A modification I undertook myself", he answered, pointing with his finger at the golden pattern. "It is a talisman. A crystal of sunlight that may shine on your path and keep you from harm, where ever you might go."

He placed the necklace in her hands and met her eyes again, expressing no fear or concern, but complete trust in her. Upon this realization, she felt an unfamiliar but nonetheless very welcome sensation of pride and joy rising up in her body, and her lips curled into the most secret but honest smile she'd ever felt herself expressing. He didn't remind her to be careful, nor did he show extreme doubt of her safety. He simply appreciated that she was capable of handling herself in every situation, and by doing so, he gave her an unexpected boost of self-esteem. She tucked the bundle away safely in her saddle pack and put on the necklace, so that the talisman was resting steadily on her sternum, making a nice contrast to the brown, earthly collar of her armor.

"Thank you, Avad", she said gratefully. "For everything."

"I guess, we could consider ourselves even now", he responded warmly, signaling that he let go of her by stepping back. Ignoring the strange feeling in her chest, Aloy turned around, placed her right boot on the footrest at the side of her Strider and mounted it joyfully easily. The horse-like machine swayed a little to the right to balance itself again and shook its head impatiently at the familiar touch of her hands around the main steering wires.

The Vanguardsmen looked taken aback by the moving, silently snoring machine, but her three friends showed no sign of concern. Grinning down at them proudly, she chose her parting words carefully: "Seems that I have to keep going now. Goodbye for now. We'll see each other again, for sure."

"Naturally", said Erend, showing his fist. "Can't see the last of you that easily. See you around!"

"Farewell, huntress of the Nora. The sundom will always be open for you", was Marad's response as he performed a respectful bow as well.

Avad did nothing more but warmly smile at her. "May you walk in the light, Aloy."

She gave them a last nod of goodbye and finally let her Strider move onwards. It even seemed as if the horse-like machine was glad of trotting down the road, happy to stretch its metallic legs again. Aloy quickly settled in its powerful, steady rhythm as they left Meridian behind. She didn't look back. She had a past to explore.

 **The End**

* * *

 **That's it, guys. I warned you at the beginning that this ride wouldn't take long.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it, and I really would appreciate a few comments on this short story now. Haven't recieved a single one so far, which makes me wonder if I simply write that bad in English, or if it is something else.**

 **Hopefully, this story made your day.**

 **Roadleader**


End file.
